Seton Hall Magazine, Spring 2016

SETON HALLA home for the mind, the heart and the spirit Winter/Spring 2016

Pope Francis in AmericaSETON HALL AND THE HISTORIC PAPAL VISIT

SETON HALLWinter/Spring 2016 Vol. 26 Issue 3

Seton Hall magazine is published bythe Department of Public Relationsand Marketing in the Division of University Advancement.

President A. Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D.

Vice President for University Advancement David J. Bohan, M.B.A.

Associate Vice President for Public Relations and Marketing Dan Kalmanson, M.A.

Director of Publications/University EditorPegeen Hopkins, M.S.J.

Art Director Elyse M. Carter

Copy EditorKim de Bourbon

Assistant EditorWilliam F. Golba

News & Notes Editors Viannca I. Vélez ’10Taryn Nie

Contributing HALLmarks WriterJoe Cummins

Send your comments and suggestionsby mail to: Seton Hall magazine, Department of Public Relations and Marketing, 519 South OrangeAvenue, South Orange, NJ 07079; by email to [email protected]; or by phone at 973-378-9834.

Cover: Pope Francis greets well-wishers at the Apostolic Nunciature to the UnitedStates as he travels to the U.S. Congress.Photo by Molly Riley/AFP/Getty Images;Facing page: photo of the University Greenby Matt Lester.

www.shu.edu

In this issue

18 Papal VisitA host of Seton Hall community membersparticipated in events surrounding PopeFrancis’ historic visit to the U.S.

24 The Fight AgainstAlzheimer’sNeurologist Vincent Fortanasce ’65 hassearched for ways to slow the devastationof the disease.

features

2 From Presidents Hall

4 HALLmarks

10 PossibilitiesA coveted internship brought one Seton Halljunior to the U.S. Supreme Court.

12 Roaming the HallRobert Kelchen’s research helped prompt afederal policy change that will make applyingfor financial aid easier.

14 ProfileSuccessful restaurateur Vic Rallo, J.D. ’89couldn’t resist the lure of the family business.

16 ProfileA $5 million gift from Board of RegentsChairman Patrick Murray and his wife, MaryAnn, will help bring students to Seton Halland keep them here.

28 Sports at the Hall

32 Alumni News & Notes

44 Last WordThe Day the Earth Shook

departments

SETON HALLWinter/Spring 2016 Vol. 26 Issue 3

Seton Hall magazine is published bythe Department of Public Relationsand Marketing in the Division of University Advancement.

President A. Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D.

Vice President for University Advancement David J. Bohan, M.B.A.

Associate Vice President for Public Relations and Marketing Dan Kalmanson, M.A.

Director of Publications/University EditorPegeen Hopkins, M.S.J.

Art Director Elyse M. Carter

Copy EditorKim de Bourbon

Assistant EditorWilliam F. Golba

News & Notes Editors Viannca I. Vélez ’10Taryn Nie

Contributing HALLmarks WriterJoe Cummins

Send your comments and suggestionsby mail to: Seton Hall magazine, Department of Public Relations and Marketing, 519 South OrangeAvenue, South Orange, NJ 07079; by email to [email protected]; or by phone at 973-378-9834.

Cover: Pope Francis greets well-wishers at the Apostolic Nunciature to the UnitedStates as he travels to the U.S. Congress.Photo by Molly Riley/AFP/Getty Images;Facing page: photo of the University Greenby Matt Lester.

www.shu.edu

In this issue

18 Papal VisitA host of Seton Hall community membersparticipated in events surrounding PopeFrancis’ historic visit to the U.S.

24 The Fight AgainstAlzheimer’sNeurologist Vincent Fortanasce ’65 hassearched for ways to slow the devastationof the disease.

features

2 From Presidents Hall

4 HALLmarks

10 PossibilitiesA coveted internship brought one Seton Halljunior to the U.S. Supreme Court.

12 Roaming the HallRobert Kelchen’s research helped prompt afederal policy change that will make applyingfor financial aid easier.

14 ProfileSuccessful restaurateur Vic Rallo, J.D. ’89couldn’t resist the lure of the family business.

16 ProfileA $5 million gift from Board of RegentsChairman Patrick Murray and his wife, MaryAnn, will help bring students to Seton Halland keep them here.

28 Sports at the Hall

32 Alumni News & Notes

44 Last WordThe Day the Earth Shook

departments

Popular culture too often sends young

people messages that emphasize personal success rather than con-

cern for others. And there is a growing perception that universities

amplify this problem through their admissions practices — by plac-

ing greater value on high school students’ individual achievements

at the expense of their efforts to serve society.

In January, administrators from 87 colleges and universities

spoke out against this troubling trend in a report titled “Turning the

Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through

College Admissions.”

Without question, individual accomplishments have received

undue prominence at some institutions. And parents who want their

children to attend those institutions often reinforce the primacy of

stockpiling personal triumphs.

Consequently, many students internalize this narrow definition of

success. When the report’s authors asked more than 10,000 middle-

and high-school students what mattered most: high individual

achievement, happiness or caring for others, only 22 percent

answered caring for others.

“Turning the Tide” also noted that excellent students from poorly

funded schools have fewer opportunities to amass personal accom-

plishments, such as Advanced Placement classes and leadership in

extracurricular activities. These teenagers are often passed over by

top universities even if they are equally capable in the classroom

and perform more service than their affluent peers.

Ultimately, according to the report, many institutions enroll stu-

dents who are academically and culturally homogenous and who

possess an extreme self-focus, not knowing how or why to foster

their own nascent affinity for ethical citizenship. “Turning the Tide”

calls for universities to reform their admissions processes to better

serve students, themselves and society as a whole.

c ’1

FROM PRESIDENTS HALL | A . G A B R I E L E S T E B A N , P H . D .

The Seton HallDifference

S E T O N H A L L M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

What are the group’s recommendations? Deflate need-

less academic performance pressure that often drains the

time and energy students have to contribute to others.

Place a higher emphasis on recruiting students who serve

their communities in authentic and meaningful ways. And

redefine achievement to create greater equity and access

for those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

I hope you will agree that these recommendations —

and the transformative changes they are meant to create

on campuses nationwide — have long been essential

components of Seton Hall’s academic programs, campus

life and institutional style.

As it has done for generations, the University recruits

worthy students who will make the world a better place —

now and in the future. That many of our peer institutions

are realizing the benefits of this approach is certainly

gratifying, and constitutes a robust validation of the

Seton Hall experience.

I take pleasure in issuing regular updates on the

growing academic quality of our freshman classes. And

for good reason. Each year we draw from a stronger

applicant pool and each year the University’s intellectual

environment is further enhanced by our new students.

As you may know, Seton Hall has advanced 13 places

in U.S. News & World Report’s annual college guide over

the past five years; SAT scores for incoming freshmen

have grown by 95 points since 2009; and last fall 1,408

freshmen boosted the total number of undergraduates to

6,093 students — the largest undergraduate population

at the University in more than three decades.

You may not know that roughly 30 percent of our

undergraduate student body is made up of students

whose families are eligible for federal Pell Grants, which

are given to individuals of modest means. (See page 9

for more details.) I am especially proud that some state

universities, which were created specifically to provide

affordable educations, enroll a smaller percentage of Pell-

eligible students than Seton Hall does. And many of our

peer institutions — both Catholic and non-Catholic —

are nowhere close to us in terms of Pell-eligible students.

This is what makes Seton Hall unique in the American

educational landscape: our ability to advance in stature —

which we will continue to do year after year — while

simultaneously upholding our legacy of access to out-

standing students from diverse backgrounds.

Why do we hold so dearly to this mission?

Of course, for students to be successful in the work-

force they need excellent preparation. But they also must

learn to work with individuals from different backgrounds

because today’s workforce is increasingly diverse — a

characteristic that will only increase in the coming years.

Moreover, we would be remiss as a Catholic institution

if we didn’t serve those who otherwise would not have

the opportunity to attend a prominent private university.

When I speak to our alumni, I hear again and again, “I

was the first person in my family to go to college,” or

“If not for Seton Hall, I would not be where I am today.”

That is the opportunity that lies at the heart of our

University. Throughout its history, Seton Hall has opened

its doors to excellent students from all backgrounds,

accepting those who understand and appreciate the singular

educational experience that only Seton Hall can offer. n

As members of the Seton Hallcommunity, we are thoroughlyacquainted with the conceptof servant leadership, whichhas informed our institutionalculture and mission for nearly160 years. The principle is sodeeply ingrained at Seton Hallthat we may fail to realize its distinctiveness in Americanhigher education.

Popular culture too often sends young

people messages that emphasize personal success rather than con-

cern for others. And there is a growing perception that universities

amplify this problem through their admissions practices — by plac-

ing greater value on high school students’ individual achievements

at the expense of their efforts to serve society.

In January, administrators from 87 colleges and universities

spoke out against this troubling trend in a report titled “Turning the

Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through

College Admissions.”

Without question, individual accomplishments have received

undue prominence at some institutions. And parents who want their

children to attend those institutions often reinforce the primacy of

stockpiling personal triumphs.

Consequently, many students internalize this narrow definition of

success. When the report’s authors asked more than 10,000 middle-

and high-school students what mattered most: high individual

achievement, happiness or caring for others, only 22 percent

answered caring for others.

“Turning the Tide” also noted that excellent students from poorly

funded schools have fewer opportunities to amass personal accom-

plishments, such as Advanced Placement classes and leadership in

extracurricular activities. These teenagers are often passed over by

top universities even if they are equally capable in the classroom

and perform more service than their affluent peers.

Ultimately, according to the report, many institutions enroll stu-

dents who are academically and culturally homogenous and who

possess an extreme self-focus, not knowing how or why to foster

their own nascent affinity for ethical citizenship. “Turning the Tide”

calls for universities to reform their admissions processes to better

serve students, themselves and society as a whole.

c ’1

FROM PRESIDENTS HALL | A . G A B R I E L E S T E B A N , P H . D .

The Seton HallDifference

What are the group’s recommendations? Deflate need-

less academic performance pressure that often drains the

time and energy students have to contribute to others.

Place a higher emphasis on recruiting students who serve

their communities in authentic and meaningful ways. And

redefine achievement to create greater equity and access

for those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

I hope you will agree that these recommendations —

and the transformative changes they are meant to create

on campuses nationwide — have long been essential

components of Seton Hall’s academic programs, campus

life and institutional style.

As it has done for generations, the University recruits

worthy students who will make the world a better place —

now and in the future. That many of our peer institutions

are realizing the benefits of this approach is certainly

gratifying, and constitutes a robust validation of the

Seton Hall experience.

I take pleasure in issuing regular updates on the

growing academic quality of our freshman classes. And

for good reason. Each year we draw from a stronger

applicant pool and each year the University’s intellectual

environment is further enhanced by our new students.

As you may know, Seton Hall has advanced 13 places

in U.S. News & World Report’s annual college guide over

the past five years; SAT scores for incoming freshmen

have grown by 95 points since 2009; and last fall 1,408

freshmen boosted the total number of undergraduates to

6,093 students — the largest undergraduate population

at the University in more than three decades.

You may not know that roughly 30 percent of our

undergraduate student body is made up of students

whose families are eligible for federal Pell Grants, which

are given to individuals of modest means. (See page 9

for more details.) I am especially proud that some state

universities, which were created specifically to provide

affordable educations, enroll a smaller percentage of Pell-

eligible students than Seton Hall does. And many of our

peer institutions — both Catholic and non-Catholic —

are nowhere close to us in terms of Pell-eligible students.

This is what makes Seton Hall unique in the American

educational landscape: our ability to advance in stature —

which we will continue to do year after year — while

simultaneously upholding our legacy of access to out-

standing students from diverse backgrounds.

Why do we hold so dearly to this mission?

Of course, for students to be successful in the work-

force they need excellent preparation. But they also must

learn to work with individuals from different backgrounds

because today’s workforce is increasingly diverse — a

characteristic that will only increase in the coming years.

Moreover, we would be remiss as a Catholic institution

if we didn’t serve those who otherwise would not have

the opportunity to attend a prominent private university.

When I speak to our alumni, I hear again and again, “I

was the first person in my family to go to college,” or

“If not for Seton Hall, I would not be where I am today.”

That is the opportunity that lies at the heart of our

University. Throughout its history, Seton Hall has opened

its doors to excellent students from all backgrounds,

accepting those who understand and appreciate the singular

educational experience that only Seton Hall can offer. n

As members of the Seton Hallcommunity, we are thoroughlyacquainted with the conceptof servant leadership, whichhas informed our institutionalculture and mission for nearly160 years. The principle is sodeeply ingrained at Seton Hallthat we may fail to realize its distinctiveness in Americanhigher education.

Building a Just Society

Two well-known Catholic writers came to

speak at Seton Hall this fall, offering insights

into how to be successful business leaders

as well as a moral and ethical human beings.

Chris Lowney (top left), a onetime Jesuit semi-

narian who later served as a managing director

of J.P. Morgan, appeared on November 4. The

author of four books, including Pope Francis: Why

He Leads the Way He Leads, Lowney chairs the

board of Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the

largest healthcare systems in the United States.

His talk, “Doing the Laundry, Dusty Shoes

and the Monastery Bell,” focused on the idea

that just as the Prophet Micah bid us “to seek

justice, love tenderly and walk humbly with your

God,” Pope Francis’ life story reminds us to

do the same in our business lives. Lowney urged

his listeners to take the time to “step back from

the world every day, be grateful, lift your horizon

and review your day.” When we think of leaders,

Lowney said, “the first people we need to think

of … is ourselves.”

On November 16, the Immaculate Conception

Seminary School of Theology welcomed Michael

Novak (bottom left), theologian, teacher, author

and former ambassador to the United Nations

Commission on Human Rights under President

Ronald Reagan. His many books include, most

recently, Social Justice Isn’t What You Think It Is.

Novak spoke on the subject of "Pope Saint John

Paul II and Pope Francis on an Authentically

Human Economy.” His thought-provoking talk

focused on how historical forces conspired to

help humans develop moral ideals within the

capitalist society.

“One aspect of Michael’s ‘message’ to the

world,” says Joseph Rice, associate professor of

philosophical theology, “[is] that one important

way of responding to the gift of the Creation is

to build a just society … in which every person

is fully able to live his vocation from God.”

HALLMARKS

Seton Hall students, faculty and community members met

onstage at Carnegie Hall on October 17, 2015, to help perform

“A Prayer for Peace,” a concert that was the brainchild of Jason

Tramm, assistant professor and director of choral activities in the

College of Communication and the Arts. Wanting to produce art

that “heals rather than divides,” Tramm envisioned the concert

as a way to address “the high level of discord in the world” by

featuring the works of Jewish, Muslim and Christian composers.

The concert featured the MidAtlantic Opera, of which Tramm

is artistic director, combined with the Seton Hall University Choir

and five vocalists as featured soloists, including tenor Theodore

Chletsos. More than 2,000 people packed into the Stern Audi-

torium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall for the event. One-third

of net proceeds from “A Prayer for Peace” — $8,000 — was

donated to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees for refugee relief.

“A Prayer for Peace” was the third in a series of “Peace Trilogy”

concerts presented by Tramm during 2015. Buoyed by the success

of the Carnegie concert, Tramm says that talks are under way with

Carnegie Hall to host the entire “Peace Trilogy” in 2016.

Live from Carnegie Hall

Campus Grounds and Beauty

BY THE NUMBERS

4 Acres of flower beds

11 Varieties of annuals and perennials

62 Tree species

48 Shrub species

80 Feet high, tallest tree on campus

45 Trees replaced after Superstorm Sandy

14 Full-time groundskeepers maintainingthe grounds

One of the most famous young poets in America — Nicky Beer (left) — and a widely praised fiction writer who wasthe recipient of a 2013 MacArthur“Genius” award — Karen Russell(below right) — visited Seton Hall this fall as part of the acclaimed“Poetry-in-the-Round” series.Both Beer and Russell, says

Nathan Oates, director of the seriesand associate professor of English, “were funny, personable andengaging. Nicky Beer got the audience involved by giving them a role —the shouting of ‘huzzah’ between stanzas — in her final poem, whichmany students told me surprised and delighted them.”“Poetry-in-the-Round” has brought writers to Seton Hall for more

than 30 years; Oates has been director since 2010. He says: “I aim to invite some of the best living writers in America to our series, and I believe we have managed to do that. I also take into considerationthe author's ability to entertain and engage the audience.” While artis-tic quality is primary, he says, he wants the audience, especially thestudents, many of whom have not attended a literary reading before,to be entertained and have fun.

One advantage to directing “Poetry-in-the-Round” is meeting someof America’s most talented writers; Oates has especially enjoyed hisencounters with the short story writer Deborah Eisenberg, “one of myliterary heroes,” as well as luminaries such as E.L. Doctorow, JoyceCarol Oates, Russell Banks and C.K. Williams. But Oates also aims “to bring up-and-coming writers,” like poet-novelist Ben Lerner, whoread at Seton Hall before he became well known.This spring, the series sponsored or co-sponsored writers such as

novelist Jamaica Kincaid, February 17; poet Thomas Sleigh, March 16;and United States Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, April 11.

Literary Lights Shine

Building a Just Society

Two well-known Catholic writers came to

speak at Seton Hall this fall, offering insights

into how to be successful business leaders

as well as a moral and ethical human beings.

Chris Lowney (top left), a onetime Jesuit semi-

narian who later served as a managing director

of J.P. Morgan, appeared on November 4. The

author of four books, including Pope Francis: Why

He Leads the Way He Leads, Lowney chairs the

board of Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the

largest healthcare systems in the United States.

His talk, “Doing the Laundry, Dusty Shoes

and the Monastery Bell,” focused on the idea

that just as the Prophet Micah bid us “to seek

justice, love tenderly and walk humbly with your

God,” Pope Francis’ life story reminds us to

do the same in our business lives. Lowney urged

his listeners to take the time to “step back from

the world every day, be grateful, lift your horizon

and review your day.” When we think of leaders,

Lowney said, “the first people we need to think

of … is ourselves.”

On November 16, the Immaculate Conception

Seminary School of Theology welcomed Michael

Novak (bottom left), theologian, teacher, author

and former ambassador to the United Nations

Commission on Human Rights under President

Ronald Reagan. His many books include, most

recently, Social Justice Isn’t What You Think It Is.

Novak spoke on the subject of "Pope Saint John

Paul II and Pope Francis on an Authentically

Human Economy.” His thought-provoking talk

focused on how historical forces conspired to

help humans develop moral ideals within the

capitalist society.

“One aspect of Michael’s ‘message’ to the

world,” says Joseph Rice, associate professor of

philosophical theology, “[is] that one important

way of responding to the gift of the Creation is

to build a just society … in which every person

is fully able to live his vocation from God.”

HALLMARKS

Seton Hall students, faculty and community members met

onstage at Carnegie Hall on October 17, 2015, to help perform

“A Prayer for Peace,” a concert that was the brainchild of Jason

Tramm, assistant professor and director of choral activities in the

College of Communication and the Arts. Wanting to produce art

that “heals rather than divides,” Tramm envisioned the concert

as a way to address “the high level of discord in the world” by

featuring the works of Jewish, Muslim and Christian composers.

The concert featured the MidAtlantic Opera, of which Tramm

is artistic director, combined with the Seton Hall University Choir

and five vocalists as featured soloists, including tenor Theodore

Chletsos. More than 2,000 people packed into the Stern Audi-

torium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall for the event. One-third

of net proceeds from “A Prayer for Peace” — $8,000 — was

donated to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees for refugee relief.

“A Prayer for Peace” was the third in a series of “Peace Trilogy”

concerts presented by Tramm during 2015. Buoyed by the success

of the Carnegie concert, Tramm says that talks are under way with

Carnegie Hall to host the entire “Peace Trilogy” in 2016.

Live from Carnegie Hall

Campus Grounds and Beauty

BY THE NUMBERS

4 Acres of flower beds

11 Varieties of annuals and perennials

62 Tree species

48 Shrub species

80 Feet high, tallest tree on campus

45 Trees replaced after Superstorm Sandy

14 Full-time groundskeepers maintainingthe grounds

One of the most famous young poets in America — Nicky Beer (left) — and a widely praised fiction writer who wasthe recipient of a 2013 MacArthur“Genius” award — Karen Russell(below right) — visited Seton Hall this fall as part of the acclaimed“Poetry-in-the-Round” series.Both Beer and Russell, says

Nathan Oates, director of the seriesand associate professor of English, “were funny, personable andengaging. Nicky Beer got the audience involved by giving them a role —the shouting of ‘huzzah’ between stanzas — in her final poem, whichmany students told me surprised and delighted them.”“Poetry-in-the-Round” has brought writers to Seton Hall for more

than 30 years; Oates has been director since 2010. He says: “I aim to invite some of the best living writers in America to our series, and I believe we have managed to do that. I also take into considerationthe author's ability to entertain and engage the audience.” While artis-tic quality is primary, he says, he wants the audience, especially thestudents, many of whom have not attended a literary reading before,to be entertained and have fun.

One advantage to directing “Poetry-in-the-Round” is meeting someof America’s most talented writers; Oates has especially enjoyed hisencounters with the short story writer Deborah Eisenberg, “one of myliterary heroes,” as well as luminaries such as E.L. Doctorow, JoyceCarol Oates, Russell Banks and C.K. Williams. But Oates also aims “to bring up-and-coming writers,” like poet-novelist Ben Lerner, whoread at Seton Hall before he became well known.This spring, the series sponsored or co-sponsored writers such as

novelist Jamaica Kincaid, February 17; poet Thomas Sleigh, March 16;and United States Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, April 11.

Literary Lights Shine

� Marta Deyrup, librarian and professor atSeton Hall’s University Libraries, was invitedto The American University of Central Asia inKyrgyzstan as a Fulbright specialist in early2016 to assess user services and collectiondevelopment policies at the library.

� The Gerald P. Buccino ’63 Center forLeadership Development earned, for thesecond year in a row, a No. 1 ranking in the Leadership 500 Excellence Awardssponsored by HR.com. Specifically, theBuccino Center was named the No. 1 Certificate Program with Emphasis onLeadership/Organizational Development.

� Mark Maben, general manager of WSOU,was named one of the “Best Managers inRadio” by Radio Ink.

� Sergiu M. Gorun, associate professor ofchemistry and biochemistry, was granted apatent for self-cleaning, corrosion-resistantcoatings, along with his co-inventors, graduate students Karpagavalli Ramji and James Sullivan. Their work continuesthrough a grant from the U.S. Air Force.

� Dr. Ning Zhang, professor in the Depart-ment of Interprofessional Health Sciencesand Health Administration, was appointededitor of the International Journal of Health-care Technology and Management.

� William Haney, professor of design, andChristine Krus, associate professor of artand design, won multiple Davey Awards in 2015, honoring the best in Web, design,video and advertising from small agenciesworldwide.

� Richard J. Boergers, assistant professor of athletic training, received a $57,500grant from the National Athletic Trainers’

Association Research and Education Foun-dation for his study of on-field treatment of spine-injured athletes.

� College of Nursing Associate Dean MarciaGardner won the 2015 Academic EducatorNurse of the Year Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the March of Dimes.

� Kurt Rotthoff, associate professor of eco-nomics and legal studies, was one of only10 business-school faculty throughout thestate to be honored with a 2015 “BrightIdeas Research Award” from the New JerseyPolicy Research Organization Foundation.

� The Environmental Education Fund and N.J. Environmental Lobby recognized Marian Glenn, professor of biological sciences, Judith Stark, professor of philosophy, and Michael Taylor, associateprofessor of political science, with awardsfor advancing programs of environmentalstudies in New Jersey.

� Through the Woodrow Wilson InternationalCenter, Zheng Wang, associate professorof diplomacy and international relations,facilitated problem-solving workshops withscholars from South Korea, Japan, Chinaand the U.S.

� Marianne Lloyd, associate professor of psy-chology, was the recipient of the 2015Collegium Visionary Award in recognition ofher leadership advancing the Catholic intel-lectual tradition.

� Father Joseph Laracy, adjunct professor of mathematics and computer science, wasone of 15 educators in the U.S. awarded agrant from the John Templeton Foundationto develop a course designed to integratescientific literacy into seminary formation.

� Bruce Freeman, adjunct professor of management, was appointed contributingeditor at Pearson Higher Education, one of the largest college textbook companiesin the world.

� Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, rector anddean of Immaculate Conception SeminarySchool of Theology; Alan Delozier, universityarchivist and adjunct professor of Catholicstudies; and John H. Shannon, associateprofessor of legal studies, were selected for the Irish Voice’s 2015 “Irish Education100” listing of leading figures in Irish education across the United States.

� Mary Ellen E. Roberts, assistant professorof graduate nursing, represented nursepractitioners as a cardiovascular expert atthe National Policy and Science Summit on Women’s Cardiovascular Health.

� Michael Osnato, chair of the Departmentof Leadership, Management and Policy, wasappointed by the New Jersey Commissionerof Education as a special liaison to thecities of Newark and Paterson as they prepare to return to local control of theirschool districts.

� Stephanie Koprowski-McGowan, associatedean of assessment and accreditation in the College of Education and HumanServices, was named to the New JerseyDepartment of Education’s State ProgramApproval Council, which reviews the qualityof K–12 educator preparation programs.

In Brief...

Seton Hall was named the No. 1 College in the Nation for Holiday Events by Best College Reviews

HALLMARKS

Placed into a tank with

sharks, you can sink, swim,

or, well, get eaten.

Stillman School of Busi-

ness students Ashley

Jefferson ’15 and Zach

Blackwood ’15 not only

managed to avoid getting

made a meal of, but actually

thrived under pressure when they were selected from college

students nationwide by Kevin O’Leary, a panelist on the

ABC show Shark Tank, to be featured in a sales challenge

that aired on 20/20 in October.

Jefferson finished as runner-up in the final challenge,

which involved selling a new product — Wicked Good Cup-

cakes — from a food truck on a busy Manhattan street. She

graduated with a dual major in finance and information tech-

nology management in May and is working for Prudential

Finance; Blackwood is pursuing his M.B.A. at Seton Hall.

Both participated in the Buccino Center for Leadership

Development and credit the center’s director, Michael

Reuter, with encouraging them to step out of their comfort

zones and apply for the show.

Reuter sees Shark Tank “as a snapshot of a part of what

the ‘real world’ holds … of what life is beyond our sacred

and hallowed Hall. Its message for us all is: if you choose

to succeed, you have to be good. Really good.”

The goal of the Buccino Center, he says, is to provide a

foundation of skills, support and knowledge for students

like Jefferson and Blackwood to be successful in stressful

situations such as the ones presented on Shark Tank. The

two succeeded, according to Reuter, because “they have the

enthusiasm, excitement, professionalism and poise that

epitomizes great leaders … they brought fire to the stage.”

Diving into

BIG EAST ChampionsSeton Hall’s men’s basketball team won its first BIG EAST

Championship title in 23 years on March 12 by beating

Villanova 69-67 in front of a sellout crowd at Madison

Square Garden.

Sophomore Isaiah Whitehead led in scoring, with 26

points (14 of which came in the second half), and he was

named the recipient of the Dave Gavitt Trophy as the

tournament’s most outstanding player. Sophomores

Khadeen Carrington and Ismael Sanogo also took home

All-Tournament accolades.

The team earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since

2006 and the 10th in school history. Seton Hall’s women’s

basketball team also earned a spot in the 2016 NCAA

Tournament, its second appearance in two years.

“I am so proud and happy for our guys,” head coach

Kevin Willard said. “Last summer I knew we had a special

group of young men who were eager to work hard and

get better. When you start five sophomores and come off

the bench with two freshmen and one senior, our whole

focus was just trying to get better game by game. These

guys did that, and their effort paid off with a BIG EAST

Championship. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Just a few days earlier, Willard was selected by his

coaching peers as the 2016 BIG EAST Co-Coach of the Year,

sharing the honor with Villanova head coach Jay Wright.

In Brief...

HALLMARKS

Diving into

Square Garden.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Villanova University

University of Notre Dame

Catholic University of America

Georgetown University

Boston College

St. Louis University

Fairfield University

Marquette University

University of San Diego

Fordham University

Seton Hall University

St. John’s University

Percentage Undergraduate Pell Grants

“People know that we are Catholic. Insteadof looking at it as a disadvantage, I look at it as an advantage. … We have quite afew students who are not Catholics or arenon-Christian. When I talk to them, they saythey feel comfortable here practicing theirfaith because it is a very spiritual place.”

— President A. Gabriel Esteban, NJBIZ, on Seton Hall’s Catholic identity.

SHU in the news

“In addition to affecting the qualityand amount of sleep teenagers aregetting, bedtime smartphone use

seems to be having a negative impacton their level of alertness during theday and on their grades in school.”

— Vincent DeBari, School of Health and Medical Sciences, U.S. News & World Report, discussing research he undertook with Peter Polos, M.D., and Sushanth Bhat, M.D.,

on the health hazards of bedtime texting of American teenagers.

“Bond has always conveyed an insouciance, a debonair, devil-may-care quality that is the wish-fantasy of the audience, certainly boys and men. His stunts and gadgets are far less the subject of jealousy than his bearing. It's notincidental that JFK, a member of America’s always-poised royalty, was a Bond fan.”

— Christopher Sharrett, College of Communication and the Arts, San Jose Mercury News,on the endurance of the James Bond franchise.

“If you look at it objectively, thesefolks, these refugees from Syria,

are running away from terrorismand a ruthless dictatorship.”— Vicente Medina, College of Arts and Sciences, U.S. News & World Report,

criticizing the results of a poll showing a majority of Americans believe it is dangerous for the U.S. to accept Syrian refugees.

On the day after President BarackObama’s final State of the Union address in January, U.S. Ambassador to the United NationsSamantha Power came to Seton Hall to speakat an event hosted by the School of Diplomacyand International Relations.In her opening remarks, Power spoke of the

fights against climate change, Ebola and terror-ism, noting that, in the modern world, it takescoalition building — “a global response” — to combat situations that cross borders.The discussion that followed featured ques-

tions from selected student leaders and thegeneral audience. It was moderated by DavidUshery, news anchor at NBC 4 in New York, andcovered questions of Obama’s foreign policy,from the historic opening of Cuba to the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. Power also spoke to thedisplacement of people in war zones, pointing out thatbecause “conflicts are not ending” and “people are stay-ing displaced longer,” the world has an unprecedentedrefugee crisis. (A number of international refugeesattended the event.)

Power praised Seton Hall for its history of activismand “long tradition of embracing people of all faiths,ethnicities and nationalities — including refugees.” People from all over the world are “coming every dayinto our communities,” Power said, and she urged students to welcome refugees and to volunteer withhumanitarian organizations to help in any way they can.

A PowerfulMessage

University of OpportunityThroughout its history, Seton HallUniversity has remained committedto making education accessible to students with limited economicmeans. One important measure ofthat commitment is the percentageof Seton Hall’s students receivingPell Grants, which has increased to 29.5 percent in 2014–15 from20.5 percent in 2007–08. Here’s how Seton Hall compares with otherCatholic universities:

Sources: Seton Hall University and CollegeScorecard, March 2016

Dr. Bonita Stanton, a nationally recognized expert in pediatric medicine, was named

the founding dean of the new school of medicine created by Seton Hall University and the

Hackensack University Health Network (HackensackUHN).

For the past four years Stanton has been vice dean for research at Wayne State Universi-

ty School of Medicine, and previously was head of pediatrics and professor at Wayne State.

Her background includes pediatric work in Michigan, West Virginia and Maryland, and she

spent a number of years working on global health issues abroad.

“Whether working with low-income populations in the United States, women and children

in Bangladesh, migrant workers in China or rural youth in Africa, Dean Stanton’s calling has

been to bring the healing and compassion of health care to the world’s most vulnerable

peoples,” said President A. Gabriel Esteban.

“Working with major universities and hospitals as well as the World Bank, the Centers for

Disease Control and the World Health Organization, she exemplifies the servant leadership

spirit that is a profound part of our mission at Seton Hall.”

Stanton graduated from Wellesley College and Yale University School of Medicine, completed

her pediatric residency at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital (Case Western Reserve)

and her pediatric infectious disease fellowship training at Yale University School of Medicine.

“President Esteban and I are confident that Dr. Stanton, with her outstanding back-

ground and accomplishments, will lead this school of medicine to become one of the finest

in the U.S.,” said Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of HackensackUHN.

Last year, Seton Hall and HackensackUHN agreed to form a new, four-year school of

medicine to help curb the critical physician shortage. The school is expected to open in fall 2018.

HALLMARKS

FOUNDING MEDICAL SCHOOL DEAN

Seton Hall hosted a mock fire emergency exercise on October 7 in honor of NationalFire Prevention Week. The exercise was made possible through a donation from the Aspiring Kindness Foundation, created in 2010 by friends of Aaron Karol as a philanthropic tribute to him and two other victims of the January 2000 Boland Hall fire, Frank Caltabilota and John Giunta. The foundation has raised more than$100,000 to support emergency responders and service providers and their programs.

ASPIRING KINDNESS

In Brief...

HALLMARKS

Diving into

Square Garden.

and housing discrimination. That level of on-the-spot

exposure “made me fall even more in love with the study

of law,” she says.

After she graduates in May with a bachelor’s degree

in modern languages — she is fluent in Spanish (in which

she conversed with Justice Sonia Sotomayor) and French,

knows advanced Latin (handy in a legal setting) and is

conversational in Portuguese and Italian — Donald plans

to pursue her passion in law school. In fact, she has

already been accepted into several top law schools.

At the age of 21, she has begun to lay the foundation

for her future career. “I expect that it is going to be very

distinguished,” says Wesley W. Horton, senior partner in

the Hartford, Conn., appellate firm of Horton, Shields &

Knox, where Donald spent this past summer gaining more

first-hand exposure to the practice of law.

Donald is the first undergraduate that Horton’s firm

ever hired. After reviewing her résumé and noting that

she had been an intern at the Supreme Court, “we thought

she would be interested in seeing what a law firm does,”

Horton says. “We would pay her a small sum and she

would answer the phones and do small things like that

around the office.” It didn’t take long — “only a few days,”

Horton says — before he and others realized that Donald

“had an incredible knowledge of the law for someone who

had not yet gone to law school.” Soon they had her doing

work on a par with second-year law students. “She really

surprised us,” Horton says.

That should, in fact, be no surprise at all, says Robert M.

Pallitto, associate professor of political science and public

affairs at Seton Hall and Donald’s pre-law adviser. She is a

student “who shows exceptional intellectual maturity,” he

says. He recounts the time when he met with Donald in his

office and she noticed a poster on his door promoting his new

book, which was about the Magna Carta and constitutional

law. “We began to discuss constitutional interpretation, and

I was amazed by everything she had already read,” Pallitto

says. “She knew not only major cases and Supreme Court

justices, but also the latest legal scholarship by people

like Akhil Amar (a constitutional scholar at Yale, where

Donald has set her sights for law school).”

That desire to delve deeply into the intricacies of

jurisprudence was further evident in the introductory

course Donald took with John Shannon, associate professor

of legal studies. “She decided she would extend her study

beyond the scope of the required subject matter to include

a significant dive into the Uniform Commercial Code,” a

byzantine tome of some 2,700 pages that governs commercial

transactions in the U.S., Shannon recalls. “She exhibits

unusual intellectual curiosity.”

There is much to look forward to in Donald’s future —

her law-school education, private practice focusing on the

First Amendment, perhaps even a position on the bench,

and “the sky’s the limit,” says Pallitto.

But as she looks toward her bright future, Donald

reflects back on the semester she spent at the nation’s

highest court. “I have yet to experience an opportunity

that compares to that of interning at the Supreme Court,”

she says. “Not only did I gain a better understanding of

the elegance of our system of constitutional law, but I

witnessed historic moments that have changed our nation.

To live in a nation that not only permits but thrives on

freedom of speech and fights to improve itself every day

should not be taken lightly.” �

David Greenwald is a writer based in Los Angeles.Ph

ristin

S E T O N H A L L M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6POSSIB IL I T IES | DA V I D G R E E N W A L D

On a lovely mid-spring morning in April 2015,

the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments

in one of the many highly charged cases on the docket for

the term. Outside, there were soft, white clouds scattered

across blue skies, and a light breeze rustled leaves in the

trees. As often happens, supporters and opponents of the

issue at hand filled the broad space below the courthouse

steps to make their opinions known.

For Elizabeth Donald, a junior at Seton Hall University

and intern at the Supreme Court, it was a day of heightened

excitement and anticipation. The court building was a

beehive of activity, and from her station checking in

members of the bar, she observed the tumult “as clerks

strode down the halls to prepare for the case and a

countless number of attorneys lined up for a chance to

enter the courtroom.”

“It was very surreal, to say the least,” Donald says. That,

in fact, sums up her time at the court as a participant in the

School of Diplomacy Semester in Washington, D.C., Program.

“Having a dream of being a lawyer and getting to work at

the highest court of the land is just surreal; that is the best

word I have to explain it,” she says.

The time she spent in Washington was made all the more

thrilling by the fact that the court heard several significant

cases while she was there, including ones addressing

lethal injection, the Affordable Care Act, freedom of speech

A C O V E T E D I N T E R N S H I P B R O U G H TS E T O N H A L L J U N I O R E L I Z A B E T HD O N A L D T O T H E H A L L O W E D H A L L S O F T H E U . S . S U P R E M E C O U R T .

A SupremeExperience

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Donald, pictured here with Justice SoniaSotomayor (with whom she conversed in fluent Spanish), witnessedseveral historic cases during her internship at the Supreme Court.

and housing discrimination. That level of on-the-spot

exposure “made me fall even more in love with the study

of law,” she says.

After she graduates in May with a bachelor’s degree

in modern languages — she is fluent in Spanish (in which

she conversed with Justice Sonia Sotomayor) and French,

knows advanced Latin (handy in a legal setting) and is

conversational in Portuguese and Italian — Donald plans

to pursue her passion in law school. In fact, she has

already been accepted into several top law schools.

At the age of 21, she has begun to lay the foundation

for her future career. “I expect that it is going to be very

distinguished,” says Wesley W. Horton, senior partner in

the Hartford, Conn., appellate firm of Horton, Shields &

Knox, where Donald spent this past summer gaining more

first-hand exposure to the practice of law.

Donald is the first undergraduate that Horton’s firm

ever hired. After reviewing her résumé and noting that

she had been an intern at the Supreme Court, “we thought

she would be interested in seeing what a law firm does,”

Horton says. “We would pay her a small sum and she

would answer the phones and do small things like that

around the office.” It didn’t take long — “only a few days,”

Horton says — before he and others realized that Donald

“had an incredible knowledge of the law for someone who

had not yet gone to law school.” Soon they had her doing

work on a par with second-year law students. “She really

surprised us,” Horton says.

That should, in fact, be no surprise at all, says Robert M.

Pallitto, associate professor of political science and public

affairs at Seton Hall and Donald’s pre-law adviser. She is a

student “who shows exceptional intellectual maturity,” he

says. He recounts the time when he met with Donald in his

office and she noticed a poster on his door promoting his new

book, which was about the Magna Carta and constitutional

law. “We began to discuss constitutional interpretation, and

I was amazed by everything she had already read,” Pallitto

says. “She knew not only major cases and Supreme Court

justices, but also the latest legal scholarship by people

like Akhil Amar (a constitutional scholar at Yale, where

Donald has set her sights for law school).”

That desire to delve deeply into the intricacies of

jurisprudence was further evident in the introductory

course Donald took with John Shannon, associate professor

of legal studies. “She decided she would extend her study

beyond the scope of the required subject matter to include

a significant dive into the Uniform Commercial Code,” a

byzantine tome of some 2,700 pages that governs commercial

transactions in the U.S., Shannon recalls. “She exhibits

unusual intellectual curiosity.”

There is much to look forward to in Donald’s future —

her law-school education, private practice focusing on the

First Amendment, perhaps even a position on the bench,

and “the sky’s the limit,” says Pallitto.

But as she looks toward her bright future, Donald

reflects back on the semester she spent at the nation’s

highest court. “I have yet to experience an opportunity

that compares to that of interning at the Supreme Court,”

she says. “Not only did I gain a better understanding of

the elegance of our system of constitutional law, but I

witnessed historic moments that have changed our nation.

To live in a nation that not only permits but thrives on

freedom of speech and fights to improve itself every day

should not be taken lightly.” �

David Greenwald is a writer based in Los Angeles.

S E T O N H A L L M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6POSSIB IL I T IES | DA V I D G R E E N W A L D

On a lovely mid-spring morning in April 2015,

the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments

in one of the many highly charged cases on the docket for

the term. Outside, there were soft, white clouds scattered

across blue skies, and a light breeze rustled leaves in the

trees. As often happens, supporters and opponents of the

issue at hand filled the broad space below the courthouse

steps to make their opinions known.

For Elizabeth Donald, a junior at Seton Hall University

and intern at the Supreme Court, it was a day of heightened

excitement and anticipation. The court building was a

beehive of activity, and from her station checking in

members of the bar, she observed the tumult “as clerks

strode down the halls to prepare for the case and a

countless number of attorneys lined up for a chance to

enter the courtroom.”

“It was very surreal, to say the least,” Donald says. That,

in fact, sums up her time at the court as a participant in the

School of Diplomacy Semester in Washington, D.C., Program.

“Having a dream of being a lawyer and getting to work at

the highest court of the land is just surreal; that is the best

word I have to explain it,” she says.

The time she spent in Washington was made all the more

thrilling by the fact that the court heard several significant

cases while she was there, including ones addressing

lethal injection, the Affordable Care Act, freedom of speech

A C O V E T E D I N T E R N S H I P B R O U G H TS E T O N H A L L J U N I O R E L I Z A B E T HD O N A L D T O T H E H A L L O W E D H A L L S O F T H E U . S . S U P R E M E C O U R T .

A SupremeExperience

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Donald, pictured here with Justice SoniaSotomayor (with whom she conversed in fluent Spanish), witnessedseveral historic cases during her internship at the Supreme Court.

ROAMING THE HALL | C A S S A N D R A W I L L Y A R D

StudentAid

ach spring, high-school seniors must make a tough

decision about where to go to college. They consult

guidebooks, study online rankings, and crunch

numbers to figure out what they can afford.

College is expensive, and Robert Kelchen, an assistant

professor of higher education and a nationally recognized

expert on financial aid and college rankings, wants to

give stressed-out seniors information that will help

make the decision easier.

“I’ve always been interested in the financing of higher

education, how we pay for this tremendously expensive

enterprise,” Kelchen says. One common financing option

is federal aid, something he has researched intently in

recent years.

Students who want financial aid must submit tax

information so the government can assess their need. In

the past, students submitted their own or their parents’

tax returns from the prior year. But that’s not ideal,

Kelchen says. Though the aid application is available

in January, few people have their prior year’s taxes

completed so early. They might not finish their taxes

completely until the April 15 deadline or even later, and by

then most students have already received their acceptance

letters. Some may have already made a decision.

Two years ago, Kelchen embarked on extensive

research to examine how using older tax returns would

affect aid recipients. “Robert was really instrumental

in running the numbers and forecasting what this would

look like for students,” says Megan McClean, managing

director of policy and federal relations at the National

Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

He found that using two-year-old income data could

potentially help the neediest students, particularly

independent students with children.

Kelchen’s findings helped prompt a federal education

policy change: Starting this year, students starting college

in 2017 will be able to file their financial aid applications

in October using tax return data from 2015.

“That three additional months may not sound like

much,” Kelchen says. “But what it means is that students

can have an idea of what they would qualify for before

they even get acceptance letters from colleges. They can

potentially use that information to shop around.”

“Robert’s work on these important programs really

has the potential to influence at a federal level what

happens with the student aid programs — how they

might be tweaked or improved to be better for students

and families,” McClean says. “The work is so important,

not only for the campus that he’s at right now, but also

nationally.”

Kelchen’s interest in education began early. His mother

was a teacher, and he spent much of his childhood in

classrooms. “She taught everything from kindergarten to

eighth grade,” he says. But Kelchen always found himself

drawn to higher education. As a sophomore in college,

he joined student government and began auditing the

R E S E A R C H C O N D U C T E D B Y P R O F E S S O R R O B E R T K E L C H E NH E L P E D P R O M P T A F E D E R A L P O L I C Y C H A N G E T H AT W I L L M A K E A P P LY I N G F O R F I N A N C I A L A I D E A S I E R .

student activity fee funds, which finance things like

student organizations and intramural sports.

That experience propelled Kelchen into a master’s

degree in economics, and then a Ph.D. in educational

policy studies. As part of his dissertation work, Kelchen

assessed how college rankings would change if he

incorporated cost-effectiveness. Most rankings don’t

take into account the price that students pay. The

ranking method used by U.S. News & World Report, for

example, looks at the amount of money colleges raise

per student. “It doesn’t matter if they use the money

to benefit students, or burn the money on the quad,”

Kelchen says.

In 2012, Washington Monthly, a D.C.-based magazine,

approached Kelchen to ask if he would take over their

college rankings and incorporate affordability. Kelchen

jumped at the chance to apply his research. Some

rankings focus on prestige or earnings. “We focus more

on what colleges do for the public: Are they educating

students well at reasonable prices? Are they producing

cutting-edge research? And are students involved in

various types of community and national service?” he

says. The magazine’s “Best Bang for the Buck” list is now

in its fourth year.

In some ways, Kelchen’s job is getting easier. Over

the past couple of years, the Obama administration has

been refining a tool aimed at providing consumers with

information about college costs and value. The latest

version of the federal College Scorecard, released in

September 2015, includes a deluge of data. “What

surprised us was the sheer number of elements that got

released,” Kelchen says. “I’ll probably look to include

some of these new metrics in the Washington Monthly

rankings next year.”

Rankings are just one way of holding colleges

accountable. Colleges also face increasing pressure from

the federal government, states, accrediting bodies and

the public. Kelchen hopes to examine some of these

issues in his upcoming book on accountability in higher

education. “My goal is to highlight a set of policies that

make sense,” he says. �

Cassandra Willyard is a freelance writer in Madison, Wisconsin.

“My goal is to highlight a set of policies

that make sense.”

ROAMING THE HALL | C A S S A N D R A W I L L Y A R D

StudentAid

ach spring, high-school seniors must make a tough

decision about where to go to college. They consult

guidebooks, study online rankings, and crunch

numbers to figure out what they can afford.

College is expensive, and Robert Kelchen, an assistant

professor of higher education and a nationally recognized

expert on financial aid and college rankings, wants to

give stressed-out seniors information that will help

make the decision easier.

“I’ve always been interested in the financing of higher

education, how we pay for this tremendously expensive

enterprise,” Kelchen says. One common financing option

is federal aid, something he has researched intently in

recent years.

Students who want financial aid must submit tax

information so the government can assess their need. In

the past, students submitted their own or their parents’

tax returns from the prior year. But that’s not ideal,

Kelchen says. Though the aid application is available

in January, few people have their prior year’s taxes

completed so early. They might not finish their taxes

completely until the April 15 deadline or even later, and by

then most students have already received their acceptance

letters. Some may have already made a decision.

Two years ago, Kelchen embarked on extensive

research to examine how using older tax returns would

affect aid recipients. “Robert was really instrumental

in running the numbers and forecasting what this would

look like for students,” says Megan McClean, managing

director of policy and federal relations at the National

Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

He found that using two-year-old income data could

potentially help the neediest students, particularly

independent students with children.

Kelchen’s findings helped prompt a federal education

policy change: Starting this year, students starting college

in 2017 will be able to file their financial aid applications

in October using tax return data from 2015.

“That three additional months may not sound like

much,” Kelchen says. “But what it means is that students

can have an idea of what they would qualify for before

they even get acceptance letters from colleges. They can

potentially use that information to shop around.”

“Robert’s work on these important programs really

has the potential to influence at a federal level what

happens with the student aid programs — how they

might be tweaked or improved to be better for students

and families,” McClean says. “The work is so important,

not only for the campus that he’s at right now, but also

nationally.”

Kelchen’s interest in education began early. His mother

was a teacher, and he spent much of his childhood in

classrooms. “She taught everything from kindergarten to

eighth grade,” he says. But Kelchen always found himself

drawn to higher education. As a sophomore in college,

he joined student government and began auditing the

R E S E A R C H C O N D U C T E D B Y P R O F E S S O R R O B E R T K E L C H E NH E L P E D P R O M P T A F E D E R A L P O L I C Y C H A N G E T H AT W I L L M A K E A P P LY I N G F O R F I N A N C I A L A I D E A S I E R .

student activity fee funds, which finance things like

student organizations and intramural sports.

That experience propelled Kelchen into a master’s

degree in economics, and then a Ph.D. in educational

policy studies. As part of his dissertation work, Kelchen

assessed how college rankings would change if he

incorporated cost-effectiveness. Most rankings don’t

take into account the price that students pay. The

ranking method used by U.S. News & World Report, for

example, looks at the amount of money colleges raise

per student. “It doesn’t matter if they use the money

to benefit students, or burn the money on the quad,”

Kelchen says.

In 2012, Washington Monthly, a D.C.-based magazine,

approached Kelchen to ask if he would take over their

college rankings and incorporate affordability. Kelchen

jumped at the chance to apply his research. Some

rankings focus on prestige or earnings. “We focus more

on what colleges do for the public: Are they educating

students well at reasonable prices? Are they producing

cutting-edge research? And are students involved in

various types of community and national service?” he

says. The magazine’s “Best Bang for the Buck” list is now

in its fourth year.

In some ways, Kelchen’s job is getting easier. Over

the past couple of years, the Obama administration has

been refining a tool aimed at providing consumers with

information about college costs and value. The latest

version of the federal College Scorecard, released in

September 2015, includes a deluge of data. “What

surprised us was the sheer number of elements that got

released,” Kelchen says. “I’ll probably look to include

some of these new metrics in the Washington Monthly

rankings next year.”

Rankings are just one way of holding colleges

accountable. Colleges also face increasing pressure from

the federal government, states, accrediting bodies and

the public. Kelchen hopes to examine some of these

issues in his upcoming book on accountability in higher

education. “My goal is to highlight a set of policies that

make sense,” he says. �

Cassandra Willyard is a freelance writer in Madison, Wisconsin.

“My goal is to highlight a set of policies

that make sense.”

PROFILE | S H AW N F U R Y S E T O N H A L L M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

n many ways, Vic Rallo, J.D. ’89 never really had a choice

when it came to his livelihood. He was destined for the

restaurant business, from a very early age. “Deep in my

genetic profile,” Rallo said, “was food and wine.”

Rallo grew up in eateries. His dad — Big Vic — owned

a Jersey pizzeria and other restaurants, and little Vic

often wandered around covered in pizza flour. The business

became a family affair, even if the parents didn’t want it to

become a way of life for Rallo and his brother, Robert.

“My mom and dad said, ‘It’s an awful business, you cannot

be in this business,’ ” Rallo said. “They made my brother and I

both go to law school. We both graduated law school, passed

the bar, and we’re both in the restaurant business. Their plan

did not work.”

Today Rallo owns a pair of award-winning Italian

restaurants in New Jersey: Birravino in Red Bank and Undici

Taverna Rustica in Rumson. His newest restaurant is Surf

BBQ, also in Rumson. He’s written books on wine and

appeared on The Rachael Ray Show. Kitchens are his offices,

and when he’s not in a restaurant you might find him

traveling throughout Italy, a country he visits six to eight

times a year, adventures he often undertakes for his show

Eat! Drink! Italy! with Vic Rallo, which runs on PBS stations

and Create TV.

All this happened after Rallo left Seton Hall, although the

lessons he learned on campus remain relevant. “I loved law

school,” Rallo said. “It’s given me an edge in everything that I

do. It’s taught me that there’s always a solution in the end. If

you have a good argument and you do your research and you

work hard, there’s always a solution.”

At Seton Hall, where he pulled napkins from his father’s

restaurant out of his pocket and took notes in classes, Rallo

remembers going to the back “at the luncheonette in the old

law school [building].” The man who ran it knew Rallo’s dad,

and Vic would “get there early, make my sandwich. I was at

law school and I found myself cooking breakfast sandwiches

and helping the guy in the back.”

Rallo has never been afraid of taking charge. “Vic has a

tremendous energy,” said Anthony Verdoni, a renowned wine

expert who is Rallo’s friend and mentor as well as co-star

and travel partner on Rallo’s television show. “He’s a forceful

individual. I’m an old guy and I’m along for the ride — I’m

just in his hands as far as the TV show goes.”

On Eat! Drink! Italy!, Rallo and Verdoni travel throughout

Italy and spotlight the country’s history and people, along

with the food, wine and cooking techniques. Rallo discovers

stories in any setting — one segment featured an expert who

aged cheese in a bunker left over from Mussolini’s days.

For one season, the crew stayed in Italy for 23 days,

traveled 3,200 kilometers, visited eight regions and shot 48

pieces for television, a “crazy” schedule Rallo said, but one

he thrives on. Verdoni tells the story of Rallo driving the

crew in a rental van with an untrustworthy door that fell

off along a country road in Tuscany. After a quick repair,

the trip — and the show — continued.

Rallo’s energy and distinct style — which includes his ever-

present newsboy caps — are always on display, but when it

comes to food Rallo focuses on substance. He talks often

about la material prima, the prime ingredient. “People want

to go to a restaurant where they can eat and trust, and a big

part is trust that they’re eating prime ingredients. I can go

anywhere in the world and cook with simple ingredients

and people are happy.”

But in Vic Rallo’s world, food and drink are about more

than satisfying hunger and thirst. Food is life, physically and

emotionally. He discovered that growing up and also in Italy,

where the dinner table acts as a sacred altar. “Ultimately food

is the most wonderful communicator in the world,” Rallo said.

“You put good food on the table, people want to stay around.

People open up, everybody’s talking. You learn a lot more

about each other. The whole thing evolves, but it’s all based

around food on the table.”

Rallo said he’d like to be remembered as someone who

“invited you over to his home or restaurant and filled your

stomach and your soul. That would be a wonderful and

beautiful accomplishment.”

That doesn’t sound like a lawyer talking, but they are

words Vic Rallo was destined to live by. �

Shawn Fury is an author in New York City.

The Joy of CookingS U C C E S S F U L R E S T A U R A T E U R A N D T V H O S T V I C R A L L O , J . D . ’ 8 9J U S T C O U L D N ’ T R E S I S T T H E L U R E O F T H E FA M I LY B U S I N E S S .

PROFILE | S H AW N F U R Y S E T O N H A L L M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

n many ways, Vic Rallo, J.D. ’89 never really had a choice

when it came to his livelihood. He was destined for the

restaurant business, from a very early age. “Deep in my

genetic profile,” Rallo said, “was food and wine.”

Rallo grew up in eateries. His dad — Big Vic — owned

a Jersey pizzeria and other restaurants, and little Vic

often wandered around covered in pizza flour. The business

became a family affair, even if the parents didn’t want it to

become a way of life for Rallo and his brother, Robert.

“My mom and dad said, ‘It’s an awful business, you cannot

be in this business,’ ” Rallo said. “They made my brother and I

both go to law school. We both graduated law school, passed

the bar, and we’re both in the restaurant business. Their plan

did not work.”

Today Rallo owns a pair of award-winning Italian

restaurants in New Jersey: Birravino in Red Bank and Undici

Taverna Rustica in Rumson. His newest restaurant is Surf

BBQ, also in Rumson. He’s written books on wine and

appeared on The Rachael Ray Show. Kitchens are his offices,

and when he’s not in a restaurant you might find him

traveling throughout Italy, a country he visits six to eight

times a year, adventures he often undertakes for his show

Eat! Drink! Italy! with Vic Rallo, which runs on PBS stations

and Create TV.

All this happened after Rallo left Seton Hall, although the

lessons he learned on campus remain relevant. “I loved law

school,” Rallo said. “It’s given me an edge in everything that I

do. It’s taught me that there’s always a solution in the end. If

you have a good argument and you do your research and you

work hard, there’s always a solution.”

At Seton Hall, where he pulled napkins from his father’s

restaurant out of his pocket and took notes in classes, Rallo

remembers going to the back “at the luncheonette in the old

law school [building].” The man who ran it knew Rallo’s dad,

and Vic would “get there early, make my sandwich. I was at

law school and I found myself cooking breakfast sandwiches

and helping the guy in the back.”

Rallo has never been afraid of taking charge. “Vic has a

tremendous energy,” said Anthony Verdoni, a renowned wine

expert who is Rallo’s friend and mentor as well as co-star

and travel partner on Rallo’s television show. “He’s a forceful

individual. I’m an old guy and I’m along for the ride — I’m

just in his hands as far as the TV show goes.”

On Eat! Drink! Italy!, Rallo and Verdoni travel throughout

Italy and spotlight the country’s history and people, along

with the food, wine and cooking techniques. Rallo discovers

stories in any setting — one segment featured an expert who

aged cheese in a bunker left over from Mussolini’s days.

For one season, the crew stayed in Italy for 23 days,

traveled 3,200 kilometers, visited eight regions and shot 48

pieces for television, a “crazy” schedule Rallo said, but one

he thrives on. Verdoni tells the story of Rallo driving the

crew in a rental van with an untrustworthy door that fell

off along a country road in Tuscany. After a quick repair,

the trip — and the show — continued.

Rallo’s energy and distinct style — which includes his ever-

present newsboy caps — are always on display, but when it

comes to food Rallo focuses on substance. He talks often

about la material prima, the prime ingredient. “People want

to go to a restaurant where they can eat and trust, and a big

part is trust that they’re eating prime ingredients. I can go

anywhere in the world and cook with simple ingredients

and people are happy.”

But in Vic Rallo’s world, food and drink are about more

than satisfying hunger and thirst. Food is life, physically and

emotionally. He discovered that growing up and also in Italy,

where the dinner table acts as a sacred altar. “Ultimately food

is the most wonderful communicator in the world,” Rallo said.

“You put good food on the table, people want to stay around.

People open up, everybody’s talking. You learn a lot more

about each other. The whole thing evolves, but it’s all based

around food on the table.”

Rallo said he’d like to be remembered as someone who

“invited you over to his home or restaurant and filled your

stomach and your soul. That would be a wonderful and

beautiful accomplishment.”

That doesn’t sound like a lawyer talking, but they are

words Vic Rallo was destined to live by. �

Shawn Fury is an author in New York City.

The Joy of CookingS U C C E S S F U L R E S T A U R A T E U R A N D T V H O S T V I C R A L L O , J . D . ’ 8 9J U S T C O U L D N ’ T R E S I S T T H E L U R E O F T H E FA M I LY B U S I N E S S .

hen Patrick Murray was a student at Seton

Hall, there was only one car in his family

and two drivers who needed it — him to get

to campus from his home in Elizabeth; and his father to

get to his job making valves at the Automatic Switch Co.

in Florham Park. Murray took it the two days a week it

was free, when his father car-pooled to work. The other

days he found different ways to get to campus.

“There were a lot of guys who went to Seton Hall who

lived in Elizabeth and around that area then, and we got

rides with each other,” says Murray ’64/M.B.A. ’72, a member

of the University’s Board of Trustees and chairman of the

Board of Regents. “Worst case, and once in a while there

were some worst cases, you had to take two buses to get

there. You could go to Newark and then from Newark

down to Seton Hall.”

Part of Murray’s recent $5 million gift to the University

will make it easier for students to get to Seton Hall, and

also to stay there.

“That’s clearly a big motivation behind part of the gift,”

says Murray, who worked at a grocery store after class and

cleaned offices on Saturdays for his first two years of college,

and then worked evenings for an accountant his second two

years. In the summers, he worked as a playground director for

the City of Elizabeth, where his parents, who were both born

in Ireland, had immigrated to when he was six. He was the

first in his family to attend college.

The way the gift is structured, it will provide

scholarship money for academically exceptional students.

And about half of the gift is for need-based scholarships,

“where we could provide for some students who need

additional financing, or for students who get through

freshman year and then run into difficulty, or for those

who might need additional help in their sophomore, junior

or senior years,” he says.

Murray retired in 2007 as chairman and CEO of Dresser

Inc. in Dallas, which manufactures equipment for the

drilling industry. “I went from the end to the beginning,”

he says of his career in the energy business, which started

in a refinery, where the oil the drillers find is processed into

fuel. After graduating from Seton Hall, he served two years

as a lieutenant in the Army, in Korea and California. It was

in California he bought his first car — a red 1966 Mustang

convertible — and drove it cross-country, back home to

New Jersey. The University’s career services office helped

him find a job as an accountant at the Exxon Bayway

Refinery, where he met his wife, Mary Ann.

“I’ve been pretty lucky over the years, so we were

able to do something significant,” he says of the gift,

which, in addition to the scholarships, will also endow a

professorship in the Stillman School of Business — its

first endowed faculty chair. In addition, a portion of his

gift will support the athletic department by funding the

Leadership Forum for Student-Athletes and renovations

in the Richie Regan Athletic Center, including a new lobby,

administrative offices and a Hall of Fame.

“The three things work together,” he says. “The

scholarships were very important to us because they

allow some students to have an easier time financing

their education. The endowed professorship is important

because it gives a commitment to the business school,

which did a lot of good for me. And I’m a huge supporter

of the athletic program at Seton Hall. Then you wrap all

that up together in the University’s strategic plan — which

has, I would say, dramatically improved the status of the

University. This gift is a way to recognize that, and

hopefully continue it as we go forward.”

Murray, who has lived in Texas since 1980, plans to make

a trip to campus in September, with a particular interest in

meeting the first recipients of his scholarships. “I want to

come and meet everybody who is helped by it,” he says. �

Kevin Coyne is a freelance writer based in New Jersey.

S E T O N H A L L M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6PROFILE | K E V I N C O Y N E

A $ 5 M I L L I O N G I F T F R O M T H E C H A I R M A N O F T H E B O A R D O F R E G E N T S ,PAT R I C K M U R R AY, A N D H I S W I F E , M A R Y A N N , W I L L H E L P B R I N G S T U D E N T S

TO T H E U N I V E R S I T Y A N D G I V E T H E M W H AT T H E Y N E E D TO S TAY.

PAVING THE WAYto Seton Hall

hen Patrick Murray was a student at Seton

Hall, there was only one car in his family

and two drivers who needed it — him to get

to campus from his home in Elizabeth; and his father to

get to his job making valves at the Automatic Switch Co.

in Florham Park. Murray took it the two days a week it

was free, when his father car-pooled to work. The other

days he found different ways to get to campus.

“There were a lot of guys who went to Seton Hall who

lived in Elizabeth and around that area then, and we got

rides with each other,” says Murray ’64/M.B.A. ’72, a member

of the University’s Board of Trustees and chairman of the

Board of Regents. “Worst case, and once in a while there

were some worst cases, you had to take two buses to get

there. You could go to Newark and then from Newark

down to Seton Hall.”

Part of Murray’s recent $5 million gift to the University

will make it easier for students to get to Seton Hall, and

also to stay there.

“That’s clearly a big motivation behind part of the gift,”

says Murray, who worked at a grocery store after class and

cleaned offices on Saturdays for his first two years of college,

and then worked evenings for an accountant his second two

years. In the summers, he worked as a playground director for

the City of Elizabeth, where his parents, who were both born

in Ireland, had immigrated to when he was six. He was the

first in his family to attend college.

The way the gift is structured, it will provide

scholarship money for academically exceptional students.

And about half of the gift is for need-based scholarships,

“where we could provide for some students who need

additional financing, or for students who get through

freshman year and then run into difficulty, or for those

who might need additional help in their sophomore, junior

or senior years,” he says.

Murray retired in 2007 as chairman and CEO of Dresser

Inc. in Dallas, which manufactures equipment for the

drilling industry. “I went from the end to the beginning,”

he says of his career in the energy business, which started

in a refinery, where the oil the drillers find is processed into

fuel. After graduating from Seton Hall, he served two years

as a lieutenant in the Army, in Korea and California. It was

in California he bought his first car — a red 1966 Mustang

convertible — and drove it cross-country, back home to

New Jersey. The University’s career services office helped

him find a job as an accountant at the Exxon Bayway

Refinery, where he met his wife, Mary Ann.

“I’ve been pretty lucky over the years, so we were

able to do something significant,” he says of the gift,

which, in addition to the scholarships, will also endow a

professorship in the Stillman School of Business — its

first endowed faculty chair. In addition, a portion of his

gift will support the athletic department by funding the

Leadership Forum for Student-Athletes and renovations

in the Richie Regan Athletic Center, including a new lobby,

administrative offices and a Hall of Fame.

“The three things work together,” he says. “The

scholarships were very important to us because they

allow some students to have an easier time financing

their education. The endowed professorship is important

because it gives a commitment to the business school,

which did a lot of good for me. And I’m a huge supporter

of the athletic program at Seton Hall. Then you wrap all

that up together in the University’s strategic plan — which

has, I would say, dramatically improved the status of the

University. This gift is a way to recognize that, and

hopefully continue it as we go forward.”

Murray, who has lived in Texas since 1980, plans to make

a trip to campus in September, with a particular interest in

meeting the first recipients of his scholarships. “I want to

come and meet everybody who is helped by it,” he says. �

S E T O N H A L L M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6PROFILE | K E V I N C O Y N E

A $ 5 M I L L I O N G I F T F R O M T H E C H A I R M A N O F T H E B O A R D O F R E G E N T S ,PAT R I C K M U R R AY, A N D H I S W I F E , M A R Y A N N , W I L L H E L P B R I N G S T U D E N T S

TO T H E U N I V E R S I T Y A N D G I V E T H E M W H AT T H E Y N E E D TO S TAY.

PAVING THE WAYto Seton Hall

Washington: Tuesday, September 22

The plane had just landed. Everybody was waiting for Pope Francis

to emerge: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden,

bishops and clergy, an honor guard and a delegation of Catholic

schoolchildren, all on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews outside

Washington, D.C.

Andrea Bartoli, the dean of the School of Diplomacy and International Rela-

tions, was watching, too, on a monitor in a broadcast studio in New York. His

job for the day was to help explain to his ABC News radio audience how Pope

Francis differs from other popes, and how this visit would likely differ from

previous papal visits.

“When you make the comparison of Pius XII, for example, and Francis, it’s

just extraordinary,” Bartoli told listeners. “Pius XII, you could not see him walk.

He was never walking in front of anybody. You were imagining the pope as if

he was a demigod. He was on a different planet.”

Back in Washington, the plane door opened and Pope Francis, his head

bare, walked down the stairs — in front of everybody, and very much on this

FEATURE | K E V I N C O Y N E

Pope Francis made his first visit to

the United States from September 22

through September 27, 2015, stopping

in Washington, D.C., New York City and

Philadelphia. Seton Hall was present

in the week’s activities — both directly,

in the ways our community members

participated in the visit, and indirectly,

through a symbolic gift the president

shared with the pontiff upon his arrival

at the White House. President Barack

Obama gave the pope a 116-year-old

key from the home of Saint Elizabeth

Ann Seton, our University’s namesake,

to celebrate her — and the pope’s —

dedication to the sick and the poor.

The story that follows details the

experiences of just a few Seton Hall

community members as they celebrated

this historic occasion.

planet — carrying his zucchetto in his hand to keep it

from blowing away, taking his first steps onto American

soil. After all the greetings, he got into a small black Fiat

500L hatchback that was dwarfed by the phalanx of

SUVs escorting it.

“You can see that there is a joyfulness to the moment

that is very, very important, and yet there is also a sim-

plicity to the protocol,” Bartoli told his audience. “It’s a

very good beginning.”

It was the beginning of a busy six days, not just for

the pope but for a number of members of the Seton Hall

community who intersected with him along the way —

offering news commentary; covering his trip on social

media; attending his Masses in Washington, New York

and Philadelphia; and even flying Shepherd One, the

American Airlines 777 that ferried him around the United

States and then back to Rome.

Washington: Wednesday, September 23Two buses left the Seton Hall campus before dawn,

bound for Washington with 80 seminarians and four

priests from Immaculate Conception Seminary and the

College Seminary at St. Andrew’s Hall.

They joined a stream of hundreds of other seminarians

converging on the Basilica of the National Shrine of the

Immaculate Conception for the canonization Mass of

Father Junípero Serra, the Franciscan missionary and

the patron of religious vocations.

“We were so many that I was not able to find a seat,

so they put us outside the basilica,” said Dailon Lisabet-

Sanchez, 29, a first-year student at Immaculate Conception

Seminary who stood with fellow classmates on the front

steps, watching the Mass on the large video screens.

He saw Francis from a distance twice, as the “pope-

mobile” arrived and left. His mother had gotten a better

PAPAL VISIT

MAN OF THE PEOPLE: Pope Francis gazes outover crowds gathered on the National Mall to hearhis speech from the U.S. Capitol in Washington,D.C., Doug Mills, The New York Times.

These are just a few of countless personal

stories surrounding the pope’s visit. Do you

have an experience you’d like to share?

Send us a note at [email protected].

Washington: Tuesday, September 22

The plane had just landed. Everybody was waiting for Pope Francis

to emerge: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden,

bishops and clergy, an honor guard and a delegation of Catholic

schoolchildren, all on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews outside

Washington, D.C.

Andrea Bartoli, the dean of the School of Diplomacy and International Rela-

tions, was watching, too, on a monitor in a broadcast studio in New York. His

job for the day was to help explain to his ABC News radio audience how Pope

Francis differs from other popes, and how this visit would likely differ from

previous papal visits.

“When you make the comparison of Pius XII, for example, and Francis, it’s

just extraordinary,” Bartoli told listeners. “Pius XII, you could not see him walk.

He was never walking in front of anybody. You were imagining the pope as if

he was a demigod. He was on a different planet.”

Back in Washington, the plane door opened and Pope Francis, his head

bare, walked down the stairs — in front of everybody, and very much on this

FEATURE | K E V I N C O Y N E

Pope Francis made his first visit to

the United States from September 22

through September 27, 2015, stopping

in Washington, D.C., New York City and

Philadelphia. Seton Hall was present

in the week’s activities — both directly,

in the ways our community members

participated in the visit, and indirectly,

through a symbolic gift the president

shared with the pontiff upon his arrival

at the White House. President Barack

Obama gave the pope a 116-year-old

key from the home of Saint Elizabeth

Ann Seton, our University’s namesake,

to celebrate her — and the pope’s —

dedication to the sick and the poor.

The story that follows details the

experiences of just a few Seton Hall

community members as they celebrated

this historic occasion.

planet — carrying his zucchetto in his hand to keep it

from blowing away, taking his first steps onto American

soil. After all the greetings, he got into a small black Fiat

500L hatchback that was dwarfed by the phalanx of

SUVs escorting it.

“You can see that there is a joyfulness to the moment

that is very, very important, and yet there is also a sim-

plicity to the protocol,” Bartoli told his audience. “It’s a

very good beginning.”

It was the beginning of a busy six days, not just for

the pope but for a number of members of the Seton Hall

community who intersected with him along the way —

offering news commentary; covering his trip on social

media; attending his Masses in Washington, New York

and Philadelphia; and even flying Shepherd One, the

American Airlines 777 that ferried him around the United

States and then back to Rome.

Washington: Wednesday, September 23Two buses left the Seton Hall campus before dawn,

bound for Washington with 80 seminarians and four

priests from Immaculate Conception Seminary and the

College Seminary at St. Andrew’s Hall.

They joined a stream of hundreds of other seminarians

converging on the Basilica of the National Shrine of the

Immaculate Conception for the canonization Mass of

Father Junípero Serra, the Franciscan missionary and

the patron of religious vocations.

“We were so many that I was not able to find a seat,

so they put us outside the basilica,” said Dailon Lisabet-

Sanchez, 29, a first-year student at Immaculate Conception

Seminary who stood with fellow classmates on the front

steps, watching the Mass on the large video screens.

He saw Francis from a distance twice, as the “pope-

mobile” arrived and left. His mother had gotten a better

PAPAL VISIT

MAN OF THE PEOPLE: Pope Francis gazes outover crowds gathered on the National Mall to hearhis speech from the U.S. Capitol in Washington,D.C., Doug Mills, The New York Times.

These are just a few of countless personal

stories surrounding the pope’s visit. Do you

have an experience you’d like to share?

Send us a note at [email protected].

view two days earlier in Cuba at the Mass the pope said in

Holguín, the diocese where Lisabet-Sanchez lived until he

left to join his father in Miami in 2006. “She was very happy

to see him,” he said. “It was the first time she saw a pope.”

He had seen the pope once before, on a spring break

trip to Rome with some St. Andrew’s classmates, but the

canonization Mass of Junípero Serra touched a deeper

spot in him. “To know that he was a man who was one of

the first who came here to the United States and brought

the faith, that’s something that’s special.” (The seminary

has a gold silk chasuble from the Franciscan missionary

seminary in Mexico that was home for 18 years to Serra,

who is thought to have worn it.)

While Lisabet-Sanchez and his fellow seminarians

watched the Mass from the basilica steps, Father Michael

Russo ’67/M.Div. ’75 watched from a place familiar to him

from all the other papal visits he has covered since 1978:

a television control-room truck parked outside. “I always

tell people, ‘You probably see more of the papal trip than

I do,’ in the sense that I’m not following every moment of

the pope’s day,” said Father Russo, a professor of commu-

nication studies at St. Mary’s College of California.

Father Russo’s pope-watching career started in 1965,

when Pope Paul VI became the first pope to visit the

United States. He and his father saw the pope bless

St. Patrick’s Cathedral and bless the crowd. “I’m a real

groupie when it comes to that kind of thing.”

Father Russo’s journalism career started when he was

in the seminary and was hired by a fellow alumnus to

work as Walter Cronkite’s desk assistant at CBS News.

He continued working in the special events unit at CBS —

“elections, conventions and moonshots,” as he describes it,

and eventually papal deaths, elections and visits. For this

visit, he was working as a media expert for the United

States Conference of Catholic Bishops, consulted and

interviewed by reporters and producers following the

pope. He also wrote for the ABC News political blog,

The Note, and for his own blog, The Francis Factor.

None of this got him any closer to a photo-op with the

pope than a life-size cutout at one of the media centers

where he spent the week.

“People have this funny notion that somehow if you’re a

priest you’re just going to be escorted into a room with the

pope,” he said. “There are many more bodies ahead of me.”

Washington: Thursday, September 24Father Russo watched the pope’s speech to Congress

from the press room “several stories into the belly of the

Washington Convention Center,” as he wrote in his blog.

He was moved when Pope Francis cited two prominent

American Catholics in the speech — Dorothy Day and

Thomas Merton — but he highlighted another, perhaps

more telling, moment in his ABC News blog.

“For me, one amazing image of Pope Francis stands

out, that of him riding in the ‘popemobile’ as his motor-

cade moved down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White

House to St. Matthew’s Cathedral,” he wrote. “The cheer-

ing crowds on the sidewalk, the fast pace of the Secret

Service beside the vehicle, and the pope’s loving and

smiling embrace of the few children allowed to come to

him caught my attention. We have parades like this for

presidential inaugurations, but this was one huge victory

lap, and reminiscent in size to that of General Douglas

MacArthur’s return from the Pacific after World War II.”

Late that afternoon, Father Russo took the train to

New York, and Pope Francis took his Fiat back to Joint

Base Andrews. An American Airlines 777 — with a papal

insignia decal outside and a microphone system inside

so he could talk to the traveling press — was designated

as Shepherd One and assigned to carry him to New York

and Philadelphia and then back to Rome.

“It wasn’t really until we were at Andrews and the

motorcade circled and he was on his way up the jet

bridge that I was like, ‘Holy moly, I’m flying the pope,”

said Thomas Murray, whose daughter Laurel is a junior

communication major at Seton Hall.

Murray, a pilot with American for more than 30 years,

had gotten the call two months earlier asking him to

serve as first officer on the four-person flight crew. He

and his wife, Donna, are devout Catholics, active both

in their parish (St. Paul’s in Princeton, N.J.) and in the

schools their three children attended. “I thought of noth-

ing else every waking moment for two months,” he said.

“If I had a free second, I was thinking about it.”

He prepared by compiling a 140-page guide for his iPad.

He flew C-141 transport planes in the Air Force Reserve

for 10 years, is a decorated veteran of the first Gulf War,

has hauled the limousine on presidential trips and has

twice carried secretaries-general of the United Nations.

“But they’re not in the same category as His Holiness.”

FEATURE |

SIGN OF PEACE: The faithful sign a portrait of Pope Francis afterhis visit to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Richard Perry, TheNew York Times.

RIDING IN STYLE: Pope Francis waves tothe faithful from the “popemobile” duringthe Festival of Families in Philadelphia.Todd Heisler, The New York Times.

view two days earlier in Cuba at the Mass the pope said in

Holguín, the diocese where Lisabet-Sanchez lived until he

left to join his father in Miami in 2006. “She was very happy

to see him,” he said. “It was the first time she saw a pope.”

He had seen the pope once before, on a spring break

trip to Rome with some St. Andrew’s classmates, but the

canonization Mass of Junípero Serra touched a deeper

spot in him. “To know that he was a man who was one of

the first who came here to the United States and brought

the faith, that’s something that’s special.” (The seminary

has a gold silk chasuble from the Franciscan missionary

seminary in Mexico that was home for 18 years to Serra,

who is thought to have worn it.)

While Lisabet-Sanchez and his fellow seminarians

watched the Mass from the basilica steps, Father Michael

Russo ’67/M.Div. ’75 watched from a place familiar to him

from all the other papal visits he has covered since 1978:

a television control-room truck parked outside. “I always

tell people, ‘You probably see more of the papal trip than

I do,’ in the sense that I’m not following every moment of

the pope’s day,” said Father Russo, a professor of commu-

nication studies at St. Mary’s College of California.

Father Russo’s pope-watching career started in 1965,

when Pope Paul VI became the first pope to visit the

United States. He and his father saw the pope bless

St. Patrick’s Cathedral and bless the crowd. “I’m a real

groupie when it comes to that kind of thing.”

Father Russo’s journalism career started when he was

in the seminary and was hired by a fellow alumnus to

work as Walter Cronkite’s desk assistant at CBS News.

He continued working in the special events unit at CBS —

“elections, conventions and moonshots,” as he describes it,

and eventually papal deaths, elections and visits. For this

visit, he was working as a media expert for the United

States Conference of Catholic Bishops, consulted and

interviewed by reporters and producers following the

pope. He also wrote for the ABC News political blog,

The Note, and for his own blog, The Francis Factor.

None of this got him any closer to a photo-op with the

pope than a life-size cutout at one of the media centers

where he spent the week.

“People have this funny notion that somehow if you’re a

priest you’re just going to be escorted into a room with the

pope,” he said. “There are many more bodies ahead of me.”

Washington: Thursday, September 24Father Russo watched the pope’s speech to Congress

from the press room “several stories into the belly of the

Washington Convention Center,” as he wrote in his blog.

He was moved when Pope Francis cited two prominent

American Catholics in the speech — Dorothy Day and

Thomas Merton — but he highlighted another, perhaps

more telling, moment in his ABC News blog.

“For me, one amazing image of Pope Francis stands

out, that of him riding in the ‘popemobile’ as his motor-

cade moved down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White

House to St. Matthew’s Cathedral,” he wrote. “The cheer-

ing crowds on the sidewalk, the fast pace of the Secret

Service beside the vehicle, and the pope’s loving and

smiling embrace of the few children allowed to come to

him caught my attention. We have parades like this for

presidential inaugurations, but this was one huge victory

lap, and reminiscent in size to that of General Douglas

MacArthur’s return from the Pacific after World War II.”

Late that afternoon, Father Russo took the train to

New York, and Pope Francis took his Fiat back to Joint

Base Andrews. An American Airlines 777 — with a papal

insignia decal outside and a microphone system inside

so he could talk to the traveling press — was designated

as Shepherd One and assigned to carry him to New York

and Philadelphia and then back to Rome.

“It wasn’t really until we were at Andrews and the

motorcade circled and he was on his way up the jet

bridge that I was like, ‘Holy moly, I’m flying the pope,”

said Thomas Murray, whose daughter Laurel is a junior

communication major at Seton Hall.

Murray, a pilot with American for more than 30 years,

had gotten the call two months earlier asking him to

serve as first officer on the four-person flight crew. He

and his wife, Donna, are devout Catholics, active both

in their parish (St. Paul’s in Princeton, N.J.) and in the

schools their three children attended. “I thought of noth-

ing else every waking moment for two months,” he said.

“If I had a free second, I was thinking about it.”

He prepared by compiling a 140-page guide for his iPad.

He flew C-141 transport planes in the Air Force Reserve

for 10 years, is a decorated veteran of the first Gulf War,

has hauled the limousine on presidential trips and has

twice carried secretaries-general of the United Nations.

“But they’re not in the same category as His Holiness.”

FEATURE |

SIGN OF PEACE: The faithful sign a portrait of Pope Francis afterhis visit to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Richard Perry, TheNew York Times.

RIDING IN STYLE: Pope Francis waves tothe faithful from the “popemobile” duringthe Festival of Families in Philadelphia.Todd Heisler, The New York Times.

New York: Friday, September 25While Pope Francis was addressing the United Nations

General Assembly on Friday, Dean Bartoli was at the

National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York,

waiting to see him at the interfaith prayer service; Father

Russo was sitting with a TV anchor from the local CBS affil-

iate in a makeshift studio atop an adjacent hotel, offering

more commentary; and Marianna Eboli, a junior diplomacy

major, was shuffling slowly in the daylong line to enter

Central Park for the papal motorcade late that afternoon,

posting all the while on Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram

for a social-media campaign called Pope Is Hope.

As Bartoli waited for the Ground Zero service to begin,

he spoke live on The Brian Lehrer Show on public radio

station WNYC. “The scene is incredible, and we are actually

in the cavernous area of the memorial where you are really

deep into the earth, and everybody’s here, all religions, all

people of the earth,” he told the listeners. “And with this

pope that is many ways not just somebody to talk but

somebody that really would like to listen, somebody that

would like to welcome the sorrow of humanity, somebody

that would like to connect with the pain of humanity, I

think that this is a perfect place and a perfect moment.”

As the pope left to visit a school in East Harlem, Mari

Eboli was still trudging along in the Central Park line,

wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the pope emoji that

the Pope Is Hope campaign was spreading.

Eboli had been chosen as one of the volunteers for

the “digital street team” sponsored by Aleteia USA, a

Catholic global media company, and a CBS camera crew

was following her for a story. “The whole point was to

show the pope’s visit through the millennials’ eyes in

social media,” she said. “We wanted to show that, in the

moment of need that the world is at, we’re all still together,

we’re all still doing acts of kindness; that no matter how

hard things get, good is winning and good will win.”

After almost eight hours in line, Eboli finally reached

a spot atop a small rise near the end of the pope’s motor-

cade route through the park. “You could hear this wave

of screams and cheering coming,” she said.

She tweeted a message and a photo of him waving:

“And just like that he stole my heart, the cutest little

thing I’ve ever seen! Feeling so blessed,” she wrote.

Then she watched him get into the Fiat for the trip to

his next stop, Madison Square Garden. “When I saw him

I had tears in my eyes. I called my grandma in Brazil

so she could feel the emotion that everyone was feeling.”

The Mass at the Garden was the pope’s last New York

event, and in the crowd were 16 seminarians from the Dio-

cese of Camden who are studying at Immaculate Conception

Seminary. “What struck me was the effort he was making,”

said John March, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who

served as a Marine officer in Iraq and is now a first-year

seminary student. “I was struck by his work ethic, that

at his age he’d be willing to take on a schedule like he did.”

March kept a particularly close eye on Pope Francis

after Communion. “You could just tell he’s a very prayerful

man,” he said. “He seems to really focus on the condition

of our hearts, and that we do have numbness in our

hearts. He’s encouraging us to let God soften those numb

parts of our hearts, and that’s a message I need to hear.”

Philadelphia: Saturday, September 26

On Shepherd One’s flight from New York to Philadelphia

on Saturday morning, Thomas Murray’s passenger had

a surprise request. “He asked to sit in the cockpit with

us,” he said. So the pope sat in a jump seat behind the

pilots, right next to the laptop sleeve in which Murray

was carrying flags from his children’s schools, including

Seton Hall. “It was just so amazing to be sitting in my

workplace with His Holiness sitting right behind me.”

That night, when Pope Francis presided over the

Festival of Families, Andrea Bartoli was among the

guests seated onstage with him. “He spoke off the cuff,

and he was clearly at home, and clearly very happy with

people,” Bartoli said. “He has this wonderful warmth

that is so inviting, and America responded to that very

beautifully — the idea that we could be better, that we

can take care of one another.”

And at the end of the evening — after Andrea Bocelli

had sung the Lord’s Prayer, and Pope Francis had led

the massive crowd in a Hail Mary and offered a final

blessing — Andrea Bartoli shook the pope’s hand.

Philadelphia to Rome:Sunday, September 27

The flight home on Sunday night was the leg of the trip

that concerned Thomas Murray the most. They were

headed not to the main airport in Rome, but to a smaller,

secondary one with a shorter runway.

The pope offered personal audiences to each of the

crew members on the flight, and it was somewhere over the

Atlantic that Murray had his. “You sit down and try not to

cry right off the bat,” he said. “The Vatican took photos and

in the first one it looks like I’m about ready to break down.

He’s got a big smile on his face and all he’s looking at is me.”

Murray then gave the pope a patch he had designed

as a memento of the trip: the pilots’ names around the

Vatican logo for the U.S. visit, with the pope’s own motto

at the bottom: Miserando atque eligendo, humble and

chosen. “I explained to him that we were very humbly

chosen as pilots,” he said.

The landing was smooth and uneventful. “When we

got to the parking spot and I shut down the engines, the

whole trip washed over me. We’d been up most of the

night so it was mixture of relief and exhaustion,” he said.

“And then I turned around and His Holiness is standing

there. He had come to the door to say thanks.” �

S E T O N H A L L M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6FEATURE |

A MESSAGE OF HOPE: Pope Francis speaks to inmates at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia. Todd Heisler,The New York Times.

PREACHING TO THE WORLD: The pontiff prepares to address theU.N. General Assembly in New York. Todd Heisler, The New York Times.

New York: Friday, September 25While Pope Francis was addressing the United Nations

General Assembly on Friday, Dean Bartoli was at the

National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York,

waiting to see him at the interfaith prayer service; Father

Russo was sitting with a TV anchor from the local CBS affil-

iate in a makeshift studio atop an adjacent hotel, offering

more commentary; and Marianna Eboli, a junior diplomacy

major, was shuffling slowly in the daylong line to enter

Central Park for the papal motorcade late that afternoon,

posting all the while on Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram

for a social-media campaign called Pope Is Hope.

As Bartoli waited for the Ground Zero service to begin,

he spoke live on The Brian Lehrer Show on public radio

station WNYC. “The scene is incredible, and we are actually

in the cavernous area of the memorial where you are really

deep into the earth, and everybody’s here, all religions, all

people of the earth,” he told the listeners. “And with this

pope that is many ways not just somebody to talk but

somebody that really would like to listen, somebody that

would like to welcome the sorrow of humanity, somebody

that would like to connect with the pain of humanity, I

think that this is a perfect place and a perfect moment.”

As the pope left to visit a school in East Harlem, Mari

Eboli was still trudging along in the Central Park line,

wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the pope emoji that

the Pope Is Hope campaign was spreading.

Eboli had been chosen as one of the volunteers for

the “digital street team” sponsored by Aleteia USA, a

Catholic global media company, and a CBS camera crew

was following her for a story. “The whole point was to

show the pope’s visit through the millennials’ eyes in

social media,” she said. “We wanted to show that, in the

moment of need that the world is at, we’re all still together,

we’re all still doing acts of kindness; that no matter how

hard things get, good is winning and good will win.”

After almost eight hours in line, Eboli finally reached

a spot atop a small rise near the end of the pope’s motor-

cade route through the park. “You could hear this wave

of screams and cheering coming,” she said.

She tweeted a message and a photo of him waving:

“And just like that he stole my heart, the cutest little

thing I’ve ever seen! Feeling so blessed,” she wrote.

Then she watched him get into the Fiat for the trip to

his next stop, Madison Square Garden. “When I saw him

I had tears in my eyes. I called my grandma in Brazil

so she could feel the emotion that everyone was feeling.”

The Mass at the Garden was the pope’s last New York

event, and in the crowd were 16 seminarians from the Dio-

cese of Camden who are studying at Immaculate Conception

Seminary. “What struck me was the effort he was making,”

said John March, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who

served as a Marine officer in Iraq and is now a first-year

seminary student. “I was struck by his work ethic, that

at his age he’d be willing to take on a schedule like he did.”

March kept a particularly close eye on Pope Francis

after Communion. “You could just tell he’s a very prayerful

man,” he said. “He seems to really focus on the condition

of our hearts, and that we do have numbness in our

hearts. He’s encouraging us to let God soften those numb

parts of our hearts, and that’s a message I need to hear.”

Philadelphia: Saturday, September 26

On Shepherd One’s flight from New York to Philadelphia

on Saturday morning, Thomas Murray’s passenger had

a surprise request. “He asked to sit in the cockpit with

us,” he said. So the pope sat in a jump seat behind the

pilots, right next to the laptop sleeve in which Murray

was carrying flags from his children’s schools, including

Seton Hall. “It was just so amazing to be sitting in my

workplace with His Holiness sitting right behind me.”

That night, when Pope Francis presided over the

Festival of Families, Andrea Bartoli was among the

guests seated onstage with him. “He spoke off the cuff,

and he was clearly at home, and clearly very happy with

people,” Bartoli said. “He has this wonderful warmth

that is so inviting, and America responded to that very

beautifully — the idea that we could be better, that we

can take care of one another.”

And at the end of the evening — after Andrea Bocelli

had sung the Lord’s Prayer, and Pope Francis had led

the massive crowd in a Hail Mary and offered a final

blessing — Andrea Bartoli shook the pope’s hand.

Philadelphia to Rome:Sunday, September 27

The flight home on Sunday night was the leg of the trip

that concerned Thomas Murray the most. They were

headed not to the main airport in Rome, but to a smaller,

secondary one with a shorter runway.

The pope offered personal audiences to each of the

crew members on the flight, and it was somewhere over the

Atlantic that Murray had his. “You sit down and try not to

cry right off the bat,” he said. “The Vatican took photos and

in the first one it looks like I’m about ready to break down.

He’s got a big smile on his face and all he’s looking at is me.”

Murray then gave the pope a patch he had designed

as a memento of the trip: the pilots’ names around the

Vatican logo for the U.S. visit, with the pope’s own motto

at the bottom: Miserando atque eligendo, humble and

chosen. “I explained to him that we were very humbly

chosen as pilots,” he said.

The landing was smooth and uneventful. “When we

got to the parking spot and I shut down the engines, the

whole trip washed over me. We’d been up most of the

night so it was mixture of relief and exhaustion,” he said.

“And then I turned around and His Holiness is standing

there. He had come to the door to say thanks.” �

S E T O N H A L L M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6FEATURE |

A MESSAGE OF HOPE: Pope Francis speaks to inmates at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia. Todd Heisler,The New York Times.

PREACHING TO THE WORLD: The pontiff prepares to address theU.N. General Assembly in New York. Todd Heisler, The New York Times.

FEATURE | A N D R E W F A U G H T S E T O N H A L L M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

Alzheimer’s affected 5.1 millionAmericans aged 65 and older in2015, according to the Alzheimer’sAssociation. The total is expectedto surge to 13.8 million by 2050.

S P U R R E D B Y A P E R S O N A L

C O N N E C T I O N , N E U R O L O G I S T

V I N C E N T F O R TA N A S C E ’ 6 5

H A S S E A R C H E D F O R W AY S

T O S L O W T H E D E V A S TA T I O N

O F T H E D I S E A S E .

A neurologist by training,Dr. Vincent Fortanasce’s life’s work became intensely personal when his father

developed Alzheimer’s disease in the early 1980s.

“I watched for nine years how he deteriorated and there was nothing I could do,”

he recalls. “Here I am, a neurologist, and I can’t treat my own dad. The medications

that we had were completely useless, and I knew it from my experience.

“It was one of the most painful things you can possibly imagine, being completely

helpless as a physician and seeing my mom try to deal with it. She’d be dancing with

him later on in life, but he didn’t know where he was.”

Fortanasce’s father died in 1991, at the age of 80. Since then, the disease’s toll

has become only more pronounced. The condition affected 5.1 million Americans

aged 65 and older in 2015, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The total is

expected to surge to 13.8 million by 2050.

With no cure in sight, Fortanasce, who runs a suburban Los Angeles medical

practice and for 30 years has been a clinical professor of neurology at the University

of Southern California, has doubled down his efforts to further understand and slow

the unremitting devastation of the disease. In 2010, he published The Anti-Alzheimer’s

Prescription, which provides dietary, exercise and lifestyle recommendations that

Fortanasce believes will help cut a person’s chance of acquiring the disease.

While science hasn’t discovered a way to unravel the mystery, Fortanasce says he’s

found success with a pair of programs that he designed to improve cognitive perform-

ance. The first is called DEAR – for Diet, Exercise, Accentuating the brain’s reserve

(or “neurobics,” activities such as brain teasers and puzzles), and Rest and Recovery.

Like never before, diets rich in high-fructose corn syrup are influencing brain

chemistry and making it difficult for the body to expunge toxic substances, he says.

In 1965, the United States produced 6,000 tons of high-fructose corn syrup; by 2010,

the total had skyrocketed to more than 6 million tons, Fortanasce says. “Every time